Sullivan: Joe Philbin’s stance is weak one

By Tara Sullivan

The Record

INDIANAPOLIS – Rex Ryan has never been afraid to grab the microphone at the NFL Scouting Combine and shout his opinion to the football world, issuing Super Bowl guarantees one year, talking about quarterbacks under contract elsewhere the next.

But even as his growing partnership with alter ego general manager John Idzik ushers in the tamer version of the Jets’ head coach — 2014 Rex was less inclined toward proclamations and more inclined toward avoiding tampering fines — there was still one topic that brought out his roar.

And on this one, we applaud him.

In an NFL conversation that now includes proven instances of locker room bullying and certain inclusion of locker room homosexuality, Ryan reminded us why there is no reason to fear these discussions.

“I just think the big thing is when everything is based on respect for each other and recognizing that there’s differences between you and maybe even your best friend,” Ryan said as he walked down the hallway inside Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium. “That’s the best thing to remember.”

Ryan was not alone, with plenty of other public declarations of professionalism and open-mindedness being shared throughout the first day of media interviews at the scouting combine, continuing evidence that the NFL is beginning to recognize how important it will be to change the tone of NFL locker rooms, of finding ways to maintain their sense of fraternity within the confines of human decency.

Yet the hopeful words from the likes of Ryan, Broncos coach John Fox or new Tampa Bay coach Lovie Smith made it all the more disappointing to hear the weak explanations from Dolphins coach Joe Philbin.

Philbin opened the day by nearly pounding his fist on the lectern to underscore what he insists is his accountability in the results of the recent Wells report, which detailed the locker room harassment of offensive lineman Jonathan Martin at the hands of teammates Richie Incognito, Mike Pouncey and John Jerry.

“Some of the facts, the behavior, the language that was outlined in the report was inappropriate and unacceptable,” Philbin said.

“I’m the one who is in charge of the workplace. I can tell you, I can tell our fans, I can tell you sitting here, I can tell our players: We’re going to do things about it. We’re going to make it better. We’re going to look at every avenue. We’re going to uncover every stone and we’re going to have a better workplace. I promise you that. I’m going to make sure that happens.”

Yet for every time Philbin said he was accountable, there was a moment to remember when he wasn’t. For every time Philbin said his franchise will do the right thing going forward, there was a reminder of the failure to do the right thing in the past.

“I want everybody to know I am the one responsible for the workplace environment at the Miami Dolphins facility,” Philbin said. “I’m the one who sets the schedule. I’m the one who decides when the practices are. I decide what time the players eat, how they eat, how they lift, everything that they do in the facility.”

Yet he claimed he had no idea what was going on in his locker room, no knowledge or realization that Incognito and his minions were routinely using racist, misogynistic and homophobic language and behavior toward Martin and a fellow offensive lineman, harassment that independent investigator Ted Wells concluded contributed to Martin’s decision to leave the team.

“The majority of things I did not know about when it was going on, no,” Philbin said.“I don’t have the benefit to look back. Certainly I would have hoped that I would have noticed some of these things, I can tell you that I had never turned my back. If I had heard this type of language or these type of acts being done I would have intervened immediately.

“There’s a common decency that people need to have toward one another and when that gets violated that’s an issue. I certainly wish I had seen some of it, and I could have intervened quicker and perhaps would not have grown to this proportion that it’s grown to. It’s easy to look back; that’s how it unfolded so now I have to focus on the future and how we’re going to correct the problems.”

Philbin’s worst explanation was regarding Incognito’s inclusion on the team’s leadership council, a position voted on by teammates but awarded despite Incognito’s prior disciplinary action for lewd behavior at a team golf outing. Philbin defended the selection because he said it honored the democratic process, but in retrospect, it’s clear he should have more closely examined why someone with that sort of past would carry such a loud voice in the room.

The best head coaches are the ones who maintain a pulse of their locker rooms, who rely on many voices on the roster or in the building to know what’s going on.

“It’s a challenge, like holding Jello. It’s slippery. You try to do the best you can,” Fox said. “Being the head coach, the buck kind of stops there. You try to set a good culture and a good environment in your building and you hope for the best.”

Sullivan: Joe Philbin’s stance is weak one

INDIANAPOLIS – Rex Ryan has never been afraid to grab the microphone at the NFL Scouting Combine and shout his opinion to the football world, issuing Super Bowl guarantees one year, talking about quarterbacks under contract elsewhere the next.

But even as his growing partnership with alter ego general manager John Idzik ushers in the tamer version of the Jets’ head coach — 2014 Rex was less inclined toward proclamations and more inclined toward avoiding tampering fines — there was still one topic that brought out his roar.

And on this one, we applaud him.

In an NFL conversation that now includes proven instances of locker room bullying and certain inclusion of locker room homosexuality, Ryan reminded us why there is no reason to fear these discussions.

“I just think the big thing is when everything is based on respect for each other and recognizing that there’s differences between you and maybe even your best friend,” Ryan said as he walked down the hallway inside Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium. “That’s the best thing to remember.”

Ryan was not alone, with plenty of other public declarations of professionalism and open-mindedness being shared throughout the first day of media interviews at the scouting combine, continuing evidence that the NFL is beginning to recognize how important it will be to change the tone of NFL locker rooms, of finding ways to maintain their sense of fraternity within the confines of human decency.

Yet the hopeful words from the likes of Ryan, Broncos coach John Fox or new Tampa Bay coach Lovie Smith made it all the more disappointing to hear the weak explanations from Dolphins coach Joe Philbin.

Philbin opened the day by nearly pounding his fist on the lectern to underscore what he insists is his accountability in the results of the recent Wells report, which detailed the locker room harassment of offensive lineman Jonathan Martin at the hands of teammates Richie Incognito, Mike Pouncey and John Jerry.

“Some of the facts, the behavior, the language that was outlined in the report was inappropriate and unacceptable,” Philbin said.

“I’m the one who is in charge of the workplace. I can tell you, I can tell our fans, I can tell you sitting here, I can tell our players: We’re going to do things about it. We’re going to make it better. We’re going to look at every avenue. We’re going to uncover every stone and we’re going to have a better workplace. I promise you that. I’m going to make sure that happens.”

Yet for every time Philbin said he was accountable, there was a moment to remember when he wasn’t. For every time Philbin said his franchise will do the right thing going forward, there was a reminder of the failure to do the right thing in the past.

“I want everybody to know I am the one responsible for the workplace environment at the Miami Dolphins facility,” Philbin said. “I’m the one who sets the schedule. I’m the one who decides when the practices are. I decide what time the players eat, how they eat, how they lift, everything that they do in the facility.”

Yet he claimed he had no idea what was going on in his locker room, no knowledge or realization that Incognito and his minions were routinely using racist, misogynistic and homophobic language and behavior toward Martin and a fellow offensive lineman, harassment that independent investigator Ted Wells concluded contributed to Martin’s decision to leave the team.

“The majority of things I did not know about when it was going on, no,” Philbin said.“I don’t have the benefit to look back. Certainly I would have hoped that I would have noticed some of these things, I can tell you that I had never turned my back. If I had heard this type of language or these type of acts being done I would have intervened immediately.

“There’s a common decency that people need to have toward one another and when that gets violated that’s an issue. I certainly wish I had seen some of it, and I could have intervened quicker and perhaps would not have grown to this proportion that it’s grown to. It’s easy to look back; that’s how it unfolded so now I have to focus on the future and how we’re going to correct the problems.”

Philbin’s worst explanation was regarding Incognito’s inclusion on the team’s leadership council, a position voted on by teammates but awarded despite Incognito’s prior disciplinary action for lewd behavior at a team golf outing. Philbin defended the selection because he said it honored the democratic process, but in retrospect, it’s clear he should have more closely examined why someone with that sort of past would carry such a loud voice in the room.

The best head coaches are the ones who maintain a pulse of their locker rooms, who rely on many voices on the roster or in the building to know what’s going on.

“It’s a challenge, like holding Jello. It’s slippery. You try to do the best you can,” Fox said. “Being the head coach, the buck kind of stops there. You try to set a good culture and a good environment in your building and you hope for the best.”